Destiny and Freedom
by Lady Rowena
Summary: AU. Harry was defeated by Voldemort. Hermione is a slave to a mysterious woman who lives in the Riddle House. What happens when Draco tries to steal her? The romance is not between who you think it's between. hint, hint
1. The Market

Author's Note: Umm... This is my new story. I hope you like. It may seem like the rest of those "Draco becomes Hermione's master and sex ensues" stories, but it's not. Just read it, and you'll find out.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and company are property of J. K. Rowling. Life's just like that.

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'Breathe. Just remember to breathe,' Hermione thought.

The last thing she wanted was to be short of breath as it happened, as she came face to face with her destiny. Her bones were aching, but her pride was hurt worse than her body, which must have been extremely hard to achieve. Her spirit was nearly broken, but there was still a bit of fire left in her. Hermione had been captured and well…

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**Flashback**

The last free night that Hermione Granger spent was chilly and the air was crisp. As the cool wind blew past her, she knew immediately what had happened. She rushed to his side as Harry Potter took his last breath of air. Hermione stood over his body and wept as he died. Then her life took a frightening and horrible turn. The Death Eaters were there instantly. She could have Disapparated. She could have left his side and gone back to Order headquarters like the others where she would be safe, but she couldn't leave him. Harry had been her life's love. There would be no other that she would ever love as much as she loved him (or so she believed).

"Hermione, come on," Ron said, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her away. "We have to go before they come."

She wouldn't move though. In a final attempt to save at least on of their lives, Tonks ripped him away from Hermione.

"C'mon, Ron, we have to leave. She'll come when she's ready," Tonks said, Disapparating with him.

Hermione wouldn't come though. She stayed behind clinging to the past, which, of course, she would regret forever. Lucius Malfoy was the first to reach her. He bonded her instantly with magic chains. His son, Draco, wasn't far behind him. Draco was the one who brought her to the Dark Lord, the one who doomed her to being a slave like the rest of her kind who hadn't escaped the Death Eaters, and now he decided that he wanted her to be his slave.

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**Slave Market (Five Months After Flashback)**

The market was bustling with business. Two men pulled Hermione who was chained andshackled. They pushed her into a cage where she could be displayed. Cages had become an extremely inhumane custom in hte slave trade. They were useful for keeping mudblood and traitorous pureblood slaves on display in the market and good for transporting. Draco stood back in the shadows, admiring his own superiority. As purebloods of high stature in the wizarding world moved about the slave market, he noticed that another person seemed particularly interested in Hermione (not for the same reason though).

The woman had shoulder-length blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked about seventeen, the same age as Draco, and she wore a black cloak. Draco was certain he had seen her somewhere, but he couldn't recall where.

"Oh, Sir, could you tell me something?" she asked a man who worked in the market. "How much is this one?"

She was pointing to Hermione with a slight smirk on her face. The man smiled at her knowing that he could make a fair amount of money from this particular deal.

"Well, this one is very valuable. I'll take no less than 500, 000 galleons for her."

"I think that this is a good amount. I'll have it sent to you by…"

"Oh, sir, hold on. I'll pay 750,000 for this one," Draco said, finally appearing from the shadows with a proud smile on his face.

"I guess that…" the market seller began, but he was interrupted by the woman.

"15,000,000."

What!" the market seller asked, his jaw dropped instantly.

"You heard me. I'll pay 15,000,000 galleons for Hermione," the woman said, and then she turned to Hermione who was shocked to have been called by her name for the first time in two months. "It is Hermione, right?"

Hermione nodded too afraid to speak. The woman turned back to the market seller.

"I'll expect for her to be delivered to the Riddle Manor by three tomorrow. Ask the doorman for the money. He'll have it ready for you. I suppose you will be able to find the house, won't you?" the woman smirked boostfully.

"Of course," the seller said, barely able to speak.

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Please review. It's short, I know, but I willimproveit if you review.


	2. Welcome to The Riddle House

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would be snogging Harry right now and not writing fan fictions.

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A smile came across her face. He could do that to her with ease. Just one look from Ron, and her heart melted. Isabella couldn't quite get that smile off of her face. She definitely liked Ron, but how could they make it serious? He was still so scarred from the events of the war, and they were living in constant fear of being caught. Then there was her other fear. The other woman…

* * *

Hermione marvelled at the sheer size of the place she had been put in. It was huge. She had never imagined that the Riddle Manor would be like this. She had heard tales, but they were never quite this big. The phrase "the Dark Lord added onto it" was an understatement. It was beautiful too, like a huge palace decorated with the best of everything that money could buy and magic could build.

This was the life Hermione had dreamed of. The life she had always envisioned herself living, but now she was just a slave like all the rest. There was no future for her anymore. She was doomed to servitude. That was a life no person, no being deserved. After all that she had done for the world, for the cause of good, Hermione was stuck in the foyer of the Riddle Manor, her hands bound by magical chains and her face and arms scarred.

The woman from the slave market, Hermione's new master came into the home and smirked despite herself at the sight of Hermione. This caused the slave to twist her head in a questioning manner. Smirks were never good. Draco and Lucius smirked, and anything the Malfoys did was not something that Hermione considered a "good sign."

The woman was wearing a beautiful, perfectly tailored white dress (it was really more a ball gown) and long, dangling chandelier earrings that complemented her long, blond hair perfectly. This was one of the most gorgeous women Hermione had ever seen, and her outfit was gorgeous as well. She looked as if she was dressed for a ball, but it was just a normal day for her. That's what life was like for a pureblood who sided with the Dark Lord during those days. Her entire existence was better than any of Hermione's dreams.

The woman drew her wand from the pocket of the black cloak she was wearing over her ball gown and pointed it at Hermione. Hermione flinched. 'Oh God…don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me,' she thought. The woman flicked her wand and laughed as the chains that were keeping Hermione's hands together vanished. She raised an eyebrow at Hermione once she was done with her quick laugh. Hermione twitched invountarily. Why was she laughing...

"What did you think I was going to do? What reason would I have for harming you?" the woman asked.

Hermione remained silent though. She was too confused to speak. This didn't make any sense. This woman was her master, and it was her duty to make Hermione's life as awful and close to hell as possible. Why was she being so kind and considerate? Something just wasn't right about this whole situation.

"Well, dear, I'm Isabella. I think you need a proper meal. You look famished," she said, leading Hermione into the dining hall. "Sit down."

Hermione picked a seat in the huge dining hall. There was a plate there loaded down with food. It was getting even more unbelievable. Hermione considered pinching herself to see if it was all real but decided to begin eating and not question anything just yet. She would have plenty of time to figure what was really going on later.

Hopefully, Isabella would offer up this information so that Hermione didn't have to ask. She had been conditioned to hate the idea of speaking at all. It's amazing what could happen in a few months. Hermione had so many questions that she was holding in. What had happened to Ron? What about Tonks? How was the rest of the Order? Was there any chance of a revolt? Was there a possibility of an overthrow?

"Do you want anything?" Isabella asked as she sat down across from Hermione, who shook her head. "Yes, well, I have things to do, a boyfriend to meet, all that…so when you're done Alec will show you where you are to stay. I shouldn't be gone too long."

Hermione almost asked who Alec was, but she instantly realized that it was a scruffy-looking, teenage boy who didn't look too much younger than Hermione. He came into the dining hall, possibly because he heard his name mentioned but Hermione didn't ask and she was sure he wouldn't answer if she did, and walked over to Isabella without showing that he had even seen Hermione. The boy had sandy blonde hair that went just past his ears and a rather sinewy, lean body. She felt vaguely attracted to him, at least physically, but shrugged the feeling off for the sake of being able to get back to eating. Food was such a miraculous thing, and her eyes lit up with every bite.

"Take Miss. Granger to her room when she is finished eating, Alec," Isabella instructed.

"Yes, Ms. Riddle. I will," he said to the woman, but he didn't act afraid.

Isabella Disapparated without another word, but she found herself gaping without being able to control it. Riddle? As in Tom Riddle…That wasn't possibly. The leader of the Wizarding World had one, single heir, and from what Hermione had heard she wasn't a person that one would want to cross ever. In fact, just being around her was said to have given chills to even the bravest of wizards. She was a frightening person or so Hermione had been told, but Isabella seemed so sweet. How could they be the same person? Hermione almost let herself gasp aloud but contained it when she remembered the name she had been told to fear. People had told her to be terrified of Bella Riddle, but there was nothing terrifying at all about her as far as Hermione could tell…

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A.N.- So sorry for the delay and the shortness. I've been busy. The next one will be longer and better, I promise. Please review. I appreciate all of them. Reviewers rock. Thanksies. 


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